Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mo Trauen on February 23, 2011 at 11:58am

Without the Roosevelt corollary U.S. major league baseball would look very different today.  What's odd is that most Americans are completely ignorant of the doctrine, even though there is this blatant reminder of it on U.S. television every day.

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Permalink Reply by Chris G on February 23, 2011 at 10:01pm

Franklin Roosevelt enacted a Good Neighbor policy see the above link to Ted Roosevelt's corallary.

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Permalink Reply by Daria Black on February 23, 2011 at 2:59pm

Yeah, I think we need to focus more on putting the oxygen mask on our on face before trying to help others.

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Permalink Reply by William C. Walker on February 24, 2011 at 5:35pm

Sanctum Santorum for President ?  I'd as soon see G. W. Bush return to the White House.

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Permalink Reply by William C. Walker on February 24, 2011 at 5:30pm

Spot on, Becky.

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Permalink Reply by Terry H. on February 24, 2011 at 8:41pm

Brothers and sisters what are youre thoughts and feelings on Afghanistan? just or unjust? The U.S. response to 9-11 that is...do you agree with the invasion of the country?

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on February 24, 2011 at 8:53pm

If Osama Bin Ladan was, in fact, the mastermind behind 911 then I think going there to get him was fully justified.  The occupation of the country, however, has nothing to do with 911, human rights abuses by the Taliban, or any noble pursuits - it's simply a power position in the middle east and I have no idea how my country (Canada) got sucked into taking part.

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Permalink Reply by Jaume on February 24, 2011 at 9:10pm

It can't be reduced to a simple binary choice. One could argue that the casus belli was as justified as one can be (history is ripe with far more stupid reasons to go to war), and that the unavoidable deaths of many Afghanis who had no hand in 9/11 was unjust at the same time. Depends on how you look at it, but it's a multifaceted issue and you should definitely look at every facet before forming a judgment. I wish it had never happened, but then again I wish 9/11 never happened, and the events that led bin Laden to 9/11, and so on. It's turtles all the way down.

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Permalink Reply by scLovely on February 24, 2011 at 9:17pm

I have to agree with you. I understand why they hate America, but I don't think we should sit back and let them attack us either. We see what the media and government wants us to see. It is impossible for me to make this call when I know that they aren't displaying the whole truth.

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Permalink Reply by Pope OoO (Out of Order) on February 24, 2011 at 10:04pm

To be clear, Afghanistan didn't attack us, nor did a significant percent of Afghans even wish it upon us. They're pawns themselves, to the Taliban and by extension Al Qaeda. I would even argue that Pakistan is more responsible for empowering radical behavior.

That said, I thought it was right for us to try to dis-empower radicals in Afghanistan, and going to Iraq was a costly setback, for us, Iraq, and the region. As mentioned earlier, aid and development for the populace should also have been a focus, and less military.

That said, it was largely our fault for being so negligent of third-world countries, and for being so ignorant about how our capitalist oil-dollars empower their oligarchs and despots.

And then there's the cancerous, religious fundamentalist aspect. These issues are not as simple as people on either side like to believe. Humanity is screwed up, and I'll bet an alien race watching us would rather think of us more as an experiment than a species to be judged. (I know that sounds odd. What I'm saying here is that we humans are trying to fix ourselves, but it's not easy. Most importantly, no one should say with confidence that they absolutely know the best or only solution.)

Which is why arguments are important. (And I don't know what to say about Pakistan. Losing Holbrooke was a significant setback, too. I personally believe that he died from the stress of trying to diplomatically make things work for us.)

 

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Permalink Reply by Chris G on February 24, 2011 at 11:18pm

Holbrooke - said the war was caused from weapons of mass destruction (meaning real weapons- not psychological weapons). 

He didn't get it - or maybe he did.

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Permalink Reply by Pope OoO (Out of Order) on February 25, 2011 at 12:22am

Hmm, I need to read more about his history. Thanks. Guess I'll go out for a while (head down)...

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